The notion of a patriotic celebration of St George's Day is something that many English people feel ambiguous about, owing to the historical connotations that it carries. For a long time we've flown the union flag rather than the flag of Saint George - but a mixture of a greater confidence in Scotland and the recent influx of immigrants has put the English identity back on the agenda. It is possible for St George's Day to become a celebration, but whether or not it can become a national day in the way the Americans have, I very much doubt; we just wouldn't feel comfortable with a day when we have all got to salute the flag. The belligerence within the English tradition is still a fresh memory and for some people the national flag is associated with football violence.

We need to find a way to overcome that reticence and repossess the symbols of what it means to be English. St George's Day can help us do that if we can make it less inward looking and more like St Patrick's Day where everyone can be Irish for the day, wherever they come from.

What we lack is a confidence, not so much about who we are, more about whether it's okay to celebrate being English. We need to stop being embarrassed about our home and find a way to celebrate the things about it that we love - both to respect the locals and to build bridges with newcomers.

Multiculturalism isn't about celebrating everybody's culture but our own. We have to be present, not least because as hosts we provide the framework for our diversity to flourish. If you accept the idea that national identity is personal, then it is down to each of us to find something to celebrate on April 23. Let those people who feel strongly about the traditional ideas, celebrate them in their traditional way. Let others find aspects of Englishness they feel comfortable with.

My hunch is that Englishness has more to do with space rather than race - and by having a day when we can celebrate the things that make us feel we belong, we can begin to reclaim our identity from those who would use our flag to intimidate and divide.

· Billy Bragg is at the Barbican tonight in an alternative celebration of St George's Day